Poprad - Budapest, by train or by bus?

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Hello,
Sorry if this has been asked before. I am going to do the above route in early December 2010. From my reading, I know that there is a train from Poprad to Budapest via Kosice. However, someone told me that the rail connection is out until the end of this year for repairing purpose, due to some floods (anyone has recent infos on this?). So, alternatively, I hv to take a bus from Poprad to Bratislava (am checking for infos on timetable & fares, but no luck so far), and then by bus from Bratislava to Budapest by Studentagency bus http://www.cseh-busz.hu/ (6.5EUR).

Can anyone tell me on how to get a bus from Poprad to Bratislava, how long is the journey, timetable & fare. Or is there any other way to do a Poprad - Budapest leg directly?


Thanks.

Trains between Kosice and Budapest run without any problems (twice daily - morning and evening), so you can actually use one of those. As far as we know, problems coming from floods effected only Kosice-Krakow line, but not the one to Hungary.

But anyway, here some comments about Poprad-Bratislava route: from Poprad to Bratislava it is much easier and cheaper to use train, because it takes much less time (from 4 to 5 hours by train vs. 7 to 8 hours by bus) and cost less (14-15 euro depending on train vs. 16-17 euro by bus). Best website for checking bus timetable - http://cp.atlas.sk/bus/spojenie/, for train - official website of Slovak railway - http://www.slovakrail.sk/

p.s. even if you decide to go by bus, then it is far not the best choice to go via Bratislava (look at the map). We would recommend to go via Zvolen-Filakovo or Sturovo. Either of the two routes will save your time and money, the only minus here - you will need to make couple changes.

If you could specifically state here your time preferences for the journey, we might give even more suitable advice 

Thanks for the reply TuT. At another train forums, forumers told me that the line Poprad - Kosice - Budapest is running. They gv me the slovakian rail website, and I've checked...and yes, it shows that there are trains. I am a lil bit confused here. You said the Krakow - Kosice line is not running, does it mean the line involved Poprad as well?
If you dont mind, can you plz check trains for these routes (gv me the fares for sleeper and normal as well, the cheaper the better). I am travelling with my 15+ years old son. Thanks for yr help
27 Nov: Prague - Cesky Tesin, midnight train (to save one night accomodation)
27 Nov: Cieszyn - Krakow, early morning train (I would like the one that passed Oswiecim so that I can visit Auschwitz on the way...and once finished with Auschwitz, how do I jump on the train again to continue to Krakow? )
3 Dec: Poprad - Kosice - Budapest (morning train fr Poprad)
8 Dec: Sighisoara - Brasov (morning train)
14 Dec: Pecs - Sarajevo (morning train)
17 Dec: Sarajevo - Mostar (morning train)

You said the Krakow - Kosice line is not running, does it mean the line involved Poprad as well?

No, Poprad is in different direction. Take a look at Slovak rail map (http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/slovakia/slovakia.gif) - problems with bridge(s) are to the north from Plavec/Muszyna(--> already in Poland). Generally this rail line connects Krakow/Tarnow with Kosice, that is why we regarded to problems with trains there.

27 Nov: Prague - Cesky Tesin, midnight train (to save one night accomodation)

Here it is better to do a small trick and buy ticket not till C.Tesin, but to Slovak station (for instance Zilina). It is because there are special discounted SparNight tickets sold in connection Czech Republic-Slovakia, such discounted tickets are cheaper then Czech domestic Praha-C.Tesin.
It can be bought here some time in advance - https://eshop.cd.cz/international/search_int.aspx?tt=2&lang=E (6 berth couchette for 2 passengers only 1034 CZK, 3 bed sleeper - 1241 CZK)

27 Nov: Cieszyn - Krakow, early morning train (I would like the one that passed Oswiecim so that I can visit Auschwitz on the way...and once finished with Auschwitz, how do I jump on the train again to continue to Krakow? )

Here you can't really save anything unless you will substitute train for direct bus Cieszyn-Krakow. If you want to use train, then between Cieszyn, Oświęcim and Krakow you will use regional Osobowy trains. You just buy one through ticket all the way till Krakow, but then you can get off train and get on the next one easily, since ticket is not issued for specific train, but for specific route and it is valid whole day long, thus you can make multiple stops on your way.

3 Dec: Poprad - Kosice - Budapest (morning train fr Poprad)

You will need to start your trip from Poprad really early if you wan to catch 6:13am train from Kosice to Budapest. Unfortunately for you, but discount in Slovakia-Hungary connection is given only for return tickets (60%). As result, return ticket Kosice-Budapest cost less than one way - 22 euro. If you want to save, then buy ticket Kosice-Miskolc for 6 euro, get off train there and board next domestic Hungarian train to Budapest (domestic fare Miskolc-Budapest - 3360 HUF - app. 12 euro)

8 Dec: Sighisoara - Brasov (morning train)

Best thing to do is to buy special discounted ticket for this connection. It is called "Fortuna ticket", purchase it as soon as you get to Budapest at any international ticket counter. Ticket cost from 19 euro.

14 Dec: Pecs - Sarajevo (morning train)

Not very big choice here, the only daily train and it is difficult to save here anything. Regular fare will be around - 35 euro.

17 Dec: Sarajevo - Mostar (morning train)

One train and standard domestic fare - 9.9 BAM

Thank so much TuT for the detail explanation.
>Here it is better to do a small trick and buy ticket not till C.Tesin, but to Slovak station (for instance Zilina). It is because there are special discounted SparNight tickets sold in connection Czech Republic-Slovakia, such discounted tickets are cheaper then Czech domestic Praha-C.Tesin.
It can be bought here some time in advance - https://eshop.cd.cz/international/search_int.aspx?tt=2&lang=E (6 berth couchette for 2 passengers only 1034 CZK, 3 bed sleeper - 1241 CZK)
You mean, buy the ticket until Zilina, but get down at Cesky Tesin? How smart
The link above is only for departing from Czech, rite? It’s easy to udstd. Wish there is similar website for other countries so that I can book online.
As for Cieszyn – Krakow, if I take the bus, I don’t think the bus will pass Oswiecim. So, I nd to tk train as well.
>You just buy one through ticket all the way till Krakow, but then you can get off train and get on the next one easily, since ticket is not issued for specific train, but for specific route and it is valid whole day long, thus you can make multiple stops on your way.
That’s funny…so when I get on the nx one, where do I sit? Isn’t the seat numbered? Or is it free seating?
Poprad – Kosice – Budapest: I came across this forum posting, plz take a look (scroll down to the 2nd last post): http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-509744-1-1-Travel-0-0-Poprad-discussion.html
Check also the imageshack link: http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/1529/screenshot20100321at735.png
If its not too much to ask, would you mind helping me this way for all my routes….so that I can just print out the image and show it to the ticket counter person to save hassles. Frankly speaking, the trick to get a cheaper rate is kinda confusing…HAHAHA…. Of course it is…that’s why we nd ppl like you

You mean, buy the ticket until Zilina, but get down at Cesky Tesin?

Exactly, you just leave the train earlier. Another big plus of buying international ticket is that you can reserve sleeper, while for domestic travel on R 441 till C.Tesin Czech e-Shop seems not to allow to buy sleeper, only tickets.

Wish there is similar website for other countries so that I can book online.

Unfortunately not every railway in Europe sells tickets online, especially international ones. So Czech Railways is good exception here. Neither Hungarian, Slovak or Bosnia railways sell tickets you need online.

That’s funny…so when I get on the nx one, where do I sit? Isn’t the seat numbered? Or is it free seating?

You can seata nywhere. You don't need to reserve seats in regional trains, that's even not possible. But in some countries if passengers "break"  their journey (like you in case of one though ticket to Krakow and stop on Oswiecim), then they need to stamp the ticket at service point at the station (it's like special stop stamp, saying that you can continue later). We aren't sure whether it is necessary in Poland or not, so it will be better you just ask at Oswiecim station.

Poprad – Kosice – Budapest: I came across this forum posting...

That is well-known tariff trick (and GyuriFT definitely one of the best specialists on such things), but you need to understand that we aren't the only ones who know such obvious things. If you show this to cashier, they will immediately understand that you are tricking them and obviously force them to issue return ticket with discount instead of more expensive one way. Theoretically it is legal to ask for such ticket, but in practice most of the cashiers will not help you with that - some will say, that they don't not how to issue it, some will openly advise to buy one way etc.
You aren't the only one who wants/wanted try such trick, but we actually never heard about any successful outcomes in practice, everybody just noted that they were not able to purchase such quasireturn ticket. But nobody forbids you to try - why not, but be ready for the opposite.

If its not too much to ask, would you mind helping me this way for all my routes….so that I can just print out the image and show it to the ticket counter person to save hassles.

Well, there is no real need for that, because in all other cases you need either straight forward discounted or regular ticket. With those you can just go to a ticket counter, say "I need one way ticket Pecs-Sarajevo or Cieszyn - Krakow" etc., nothing complicated there. At least, this is what we can say from the info you gave in your last post (from 28.07). Or maybe we incorrectly understood you?

TQ TQ TQ....so much for yr answers...
>Exactly, you just leave the train earlier. Another big plus of buying international ticket is that you can reserve sleeper, while for domestic travel on R 441 till C.Tesin Czech e-Shop seems not to allow to buy sleeper, only tickets.

Okey then, understood. So after I get down at Cesky Tesin, how & where do I buy ticket for my next leg to Krakow (via Oswiecim)? The Czech e-shop didnt hv the route Cieszyn - Krakow (I suppose reason being is its already outside Czech).

>You can seata nywhere. You don't need to reserve seats in regional trains, that's even not possible. But in some countries if passengers "break"  their journey (like you in case of one though ticket to Krakow and stop on Oswiecim), then they need to stamp the ticket at service point at the station (it's like special stop stamp, saying that you can continue later). We aren't sure whether it is necessary in Poland or not, so it will be better you just ask at Oswiecim station.
>(it's like special stop stamp, saying that you can continue later)....You mean I ask this before I get down at Oswiecim, or before I buy the ticket Cieszyn - Krakow (via Oswiecim)? How if my ticket not allow me to continue later?

>You aren't the only one who wants/wanted try such trick, but we actually never heard about any successful outcomes in practice, everybody just noted that they were not able to purchase such quasireturn ticket. But nobody forbids you to try - why not, but be ready for the opposite.

Of course...But at least I need to know beforehand how much is the return ticket fare (to compare with the one way fare), and it seems quite tough to get the fare in english (or may be its just me who dont know how to look for it?) Depending on the route @ country, return ticket can be cheaper than one way....at other times, they only gv discount, making the one way journey is cheaper (since I am not going to take the return journey), example, one way fr A to B = 20EUR, return 30EUR. I'm not taking the return journey, so in this case, its better to buy only one way. So, how do I check the one way & the return fares for all my routes beforehand, or I can only ask at the respective train stations when buying my ticket? If the counter person fall for the trick and let me buy the return ticket, do I nd to prepare with the info of my 'return date'?
 
>Well, there is no real need for that, because in all other cases you need either straight forward discounted or regular ticket. With those you can just go to a ticket counter, say "I need one way ticket Pecs-Sarajevo or Cieszyn - Krakow" etc., nothing complicated there. At least, this is what we can say from the info you gave in your last post (from 28.07). Or maybe we incorrectly understood you?

Yes, you udstd me well...
14 Dec: Pecs - Sarajevo
17 Dec: Sarajevo - Mostar
Can I buy my 17 Dec journey at Pecs, or its not adviseable?

So after I get down at Cesky Tesin, how & where do I buy ticket for my next leg to Krakow (via Oswiecim)? The Czech e-shop didnt hv the route Cieszyn - Krakow (I suppose reason being is its already outside Czech).

Town Tesin consists of two parts - one part located in Poland, the other - in Czech Republic (check google maps or better http://wikimapia.org/#lat=49.7465855&lon=18.6317396&z=15&l=0&m=s&v=9&search=tesin - here you can see location of both railway stations).  Each part got own railway station, thus since you will arrive to the Czech station you will need to walk from there to Polish part of the town. From station to station it is less than 2km.

You mean I ask this before I get down at Oswiecim, or before I buy the ticket Cieszyn - Krakow (via Oswiecim)? How if my ticket not allow me to continue later?

When you get off train in Oswiecim, ask at the station whether you need to stamp your ticket to Krakow or not, because you want to continue your journey later that day. Alternatively you can just buy two different tickets - one Cieszyn-Oswiecim (13 PLN), other - Oswiecim-Krakow (13 PLN), but in such case you'll pay 5 PLN more, because ticket Cieszyn - Krakow cost 21 PLN. All trains from Cieszyn to Krakow go via Oswiecim. Polish railways timetable here - http://rozklad-pkp.pl

So, how do I check the one way & the return fares for all my routes beforehand, or I can only ask at the respective train stations when buying my ticket?

Well, take a better look at the post from July 28, 2010, 10:59:35 pm, we already quoted all the fares for you 
With Poprad-Kosice-Budapest route buy domestic Slovak ticket from Poprad to Kosice (5.1 euro), Kosice-Budapest (22 euro return, one way is more expensive), if you want to save - do the trick with Miskolc (described earlier).
Sighisoara - Brasov by domestic Romanian train - from 13.5 RON up to 33 RON (depending on train type.)

Can I buy my 17 Dec journey at Pecs, or its not adviseable?

You can, but better not to do it. Since in Pecs they will issue such ticket using international tariff, while in Sarajevo you'll pay much less since ticket will be issued with Bosnian domestic tariff.

HAHAHA....yes, you hv quoted the fare much earlier. I'm sorry for my carelessness...Now, it's all seems much clearer to me. You missed this one 
>If the counter person fall for the trick and let me buy the return ticket, do I nd to prepare with the info of my 'return date'?
Thanks Tut....you hv been most helpful....MUAHHHH 

If the counter person fall for the trick and let me buy the return ticket, do I nd to prepare with the info of my 'return date'?

No, if you will be lucky enough to use Gyuri's trick, then you don't need to worry about return date at all. Tickets from Slovakia to Hungary issued for a period of validity 1 month and they are sold independently from seat reservations, so you can use your ticket any time and on any train during validity period, as soon as train follows the route ticket was issued for.

Ahh....ok....But if the trick fail and I still hv to buy one way Kosice - Budapest, how much should it be? (I hv checked the timetable, to get fr Kosice - Miskolc, and Miskolc - Budapest will require much longer time, and I will be arriving quite late in Budapest....so hv to let go the idea).

But if the trick fail and I still hv to buy one way Kosice - Budapest, how much should it be?

It might sound a little bit strange, but one way ticket actually will cost more than return, because for return tickets in connection Slovakia-Hungary you receive 60% discount.

I hv checked the timetable, to get fr Kosice - Miskolc, and Miskolc - Budapest will require much longer time, and I will be arriving quite late in Budapest.

Hmm... IC 537 Kosice-Budapest arrives to Miskolc at 7:26am (to Budapest 9:27), afterward you have trains from Miskolc to Budapest at 7:34am(10:28am in Budapest), 8:04am(10:57 in Budapest), 8:28am(10:27 in Budapest). So if you choose to make Miskolc trick you will arrive to Budapest only an hour later. But if you are ok with paying 22 euro for Kosice-Budapest direct ticket, then you can forget about Miskolc - with such trick you'll save only around 4-5 euro. 

I'm planning to take a morning train from Poprad, arriving Kosice around 12pm. Get down and see Kosice a little bit. Then continue with Kosice - Budapest, 6pm train. If I take the Kosice - Miskolc, I will hv to buy the Miskolc - Budapest ticket at Miskolc (to get the cheaper price)....In this case, I will hv to wait at Miskolc station for about an hour before the nx train to Budapest arrive. Meaning, I will reach Budapest almost midnight. Hmmm...dont really like the idea of getting to a big new city at such hour....
Anyway TuT, you hv helped me a lot. Thanks so much...

I'm planning to take a morning train from Poprad, arriving Kosice around 12pm. Get down and see Kosice a little bit.

Ups.. we though you've said that you want to travel in the morning meaning 6am train from Kosice to Budapest. If you want 6pm train, then definitely no need to stop in Miskolc, go straight to Budapest.

p.s. Kosice is rather nice small town, so hope you'll enjoy it, but, imho, 6 hours might be too much for stopover there, thus we would probably recommend to shorten it to around 3-4 hours, so you can sleep longer in the morning. Trains from Poprad to Kosice go almost every hour, thus it won't be a problem. Kosice train station is only 5 minutes walk from the main square. 

Thanks for the advice....I've checked the timetable (Db Bahn)...am going to catch the 10:47am train Poprad - Kosice, and then the 18:06pm train Kosice - Budapest. I know there are many trains to Kosice, but dont forget that I'm going there in early December. Sunset is around 4pm. Thats why I nd to reach Kosice earlier. BTW, when I type Kosice (for departure fr Poprad) at the website, there seems to be an error...so I choose Kosice predmestie...I dont know what it mean...just hope that I got the correct timetable.
TuT, can I leave my backpack at Kosice station? How much should I expect to pay...and is it counted by per hour?
And...at minimum, how long must I be at the train station before departure? Is it difficult to locate the correct platform and coucette?